Cooking Up A Storm This Fairtrade Fortnight

The latest cookery book to hit our shelves is ‘The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook’ edited by Sophie Grigson.  As well as being beautifully illustrated it also has contributions from well-known celebrities, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who offers a recipe for Kedgeree.  It has a fantastic collection of recipes, catering well for a variety of tastes with good vegetarian options and delicious puddings and treats for those with a sweet tooth.  One of the appeals of the book is that the recipes are all very different and ‘do-able’ and make good use of fresh ingredients.  

The recipes all have one very important feature. For each, at least one of the ingredients or flavourings was nurtured by farmers and workers who are now getting a better, fairer deal for their work, thanks to people supporting Fairtrade products.  

Below we print one of their recipes to tempt you to enter our draw to give away five copies of ‘The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook’, published by DK and worth £16.99.  Send your entries to Fairtrade Book Draw, Diocesan Church House, North Hinksey Lane, Oxford OX2 0NB.  The deadline for entries is  14 March.  Winners will be drawn at random on that date.

Caribbean Banana Salad

Ingredients
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 15-20 minutes

4 cloves garlic, crushed
60g (2oz) sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
120ml (4floz) olive oil
120ml (4floz) white wine vinegar
Juice of one Fairtrade lime
Salt and Fairtrade black pepper to taste
1kg (21/4lb) very green, underripe Fairtrade bananas

Method
Combine garlic, olives, onion, bay leaf, olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Meanwhile, cut the ends from the green bananas and slit peel lengthways, keep peel on. 

Boil the bananas for a few minutes until they are soft, yet still firm.  Drain bananas and place in a pan of icy water for approximately 5 minutes or until they are completely cold.

Peel bananas and cut into 2.5cm (1in) rounds.  Add banana rounds to the bowl of garlic and onion mixture and toss to coat well.  Sprinkle with the sliced red onion.

TIP: For a more substantial salad, serve on plates with chopped lettuce and add tomato, Fairtrade avocado, carrot sticks, a red Fairtrade pepper cut into strips, and some broccoli florets. This dish would make a delicious accompaniment for a curry.